The Choctaw Hymns

Whether in a rural area in southeastern Oklahoma or in an urban gathering, one of the most distinctive elements of Choctaw Christian church services is the beautiful, powerful hymns sung in the Choctaw language. For many people, Choctaw hymns like #48 and #21 have become as much a part of their Choctaw identity as bvnaha bread and stickball. For some, these hymns convey a relationship with God that helps define them as Choctaw people.

The Choctaw Hymnal has been a part of Choctaw church services for many generations, but much of the knowledge about how the hymnal was created—and about the people who wrote the Choctaw hymns—has been forgotten. This month’s edition of Iti Fabvssa presents some of the history of Choctaw hymns and their composers.

Long before Europeans arrived on this continent, Choctaw people had a deep spirituality and an ancient singing tradition. There were specific songs for hunting, for stickball, for playing hand games, and for going to war. There were songs sung for the safety of loved ones away at war, songs sung when facing death, and songs sung during sacred dances at the Green Corn Ceremony.

Christian hymns were brought to Choctaw country by Protestant missionaries who arrived in 1819 at the request of Chiefs Mushulatubbee and David Folsom. After arriving, many of the early missionaries studied the Choctaw language so they could communicate directly with the Choctaw people. Beyond learning the language, they also had to find ways to communicate specialized Christian concepts that the Choctaw language was not originally designed to convey.

One method was to impose Christian meanings onto existing Choctaw words. For example, okchalinichi, meaning “to deliver from danger,” was used to describe Christian rebirth. Another method was to describe biblical concepts literally using Choctaw words. Because Choctaw society did not have shepherds or sheep, missionaries used the phrase chukfalhpowa apistikeli, meaning “domesticated rabbit-watcher,” to represent a shepherd.

With increasing fluency in Choctaw and a developing system for expressing Christian concepts, missionaries began preaching in the Choctaw language. Not all Choctaw people converted to Christianity—some have always followed ancient Choctaw spiritual traditions. Nevertheless, many Choctaw people did convert, worked alongside the missionaries, and eventually became ministers themselves. Missionaries and Choctaw leaders also worked together to create a Choctaw dictionary and writing system.

This collaboration made it possible to compose and write hymns in the Choctaw language. According to one source, the first Choctaw hymn was written by Cyrus Byington in 1824. Within a year, he had composed nine more. Other missionaries, such as Loring S. Williams, also wrote hymns, but hymn composition was not limited to missionaries. One missionary wrote of an anonymous Choctaw man in his congregation who could neither read nor write, yet independently composed a beautiful Choctaw hymn.

Within a few years, Alfred Wright and Cyrus Byington began compiling a formal Choctaw hymnal. First published in 1829, it contained 55 hymns and five doxologies, including what are now hymn numbers 11, 54, 55, 60, and an earlier version of hymn 35. These hymns were likely sung by Choctaw people during the first waves of the Trail of Tears (1830–1833).

Some of today’s most popular hymns—such as numbers 21, 48, 53, and 112—were not yet included. Whether these hymns were sung during the Trail of Tears, or even written by that time, remains unknown.

After the initial waves of removal, later editions of the Choctaw hymnal incorporated additional hymns, along with marriage and funeral services and scripture readings. The final major group of hymns was added in 1850, completing the main body of songs found in today’s hymnal. In total, at least nine editions have been published. While many hymns are unattributed, some include the composer’s initials.

Hymn Composer Initials and Names (Partial List)

• A. W. — Alfred Wright
• B. & P. — Cyrus Byington and Peter P. Pitchlynn
• C. B. — Cyrus Byington
• D. — Capt. Joseph Dukes
• D. F. — David Folsom
• F. — Rev. Pliny Fisk
• G. L. W. — George L. Williams
• I. F. — Rev. Israel Folsom
• J. E. D. — Rev. Jonathan Edwards Dwight
• K. — John P. Kingsbury
• L. S. W. — Loring S. Williams
• P. P. P. — Peter P. Pitchlynn

Alfred Wright, Cyrus Byington, John Kingsbury, and Loring S. Williams were Anglo-American missionaries. The remaining composers listed were Choctaw men.

The Choctaw hymn writers faced extraordinary challenges: the loss of their homeland, survival of the Trail of Tears, widespread death and displacement, and the task of rebuilding their Nation. Understanding the hymns in the context of these lives makes their words even more powerful.

Many of these hymn writers devoted their lives to serving their people and can be considered among the founding leaders of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. David Folsom led Choctaw warriors alongside Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812 and was instrumental in inviting missionaries to Choctaw country. He helped teach Choctaw to Cyrus Byington and later became one of the Nation’s most powerful chiefs.

Folsom served as a Choctaw delegate to the United States and was present when Pushmataha died. During Removal, he personally led a party of Choctaw people over the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma.

Peter P. Pitchlynn, a graduate of the University of Nashville, maintained a Choctaw diplomatic presence in Washington, D.C., during the Civil War and formally surrendered the Choctaw Nation at its conclusion. He served as Principal Chief during and after the war and later as superintendent of Choctaw Academy.

Rev. J. E. Dwight was the first Choctaw to attend Dartmouth College, beginning in 1838. He helped draft the Skullyville Constitution and translated Choctaw council acts and resolutions for many years. His hymn translations appear in the sixth and later editions of the hymnal.

Pliny Fisk was the first Choctaw Presbyterian minister and pastor of Mt. Zion Church, known widely for his powerful preaching. Captain Joseph Dukes attended school at Mayhew Mission, helped Byington develop the Choctaw grammar and dictionary, assisted Alfred Wright with translating the Book of Psalms, and preached at Wheelock Mission.

Israel Folsom, brother of David Folsom, served as a Choctaw delegate to Washington, D.C., ministered at Boggy Depot, translated the Lord’s Prayer into Choctaw, and worked to expand educational opportunities for Choctaw women.

The Choctaw hymns come from remarkable individuals—both Choctaw and Anglo—who dedicated their lives to serving the Choctaw people during one of the darkest periods in Choctaw history. Through these hymns, we hear their voices, feel the spirituality that sustained them through Removal, and sing eloquent, deeply fluent expressions of the Choctaw language. The Choctaw hymns remain an essential part of the Choctaw story and, for many tribal members, will always be an important part of Choctaw life.